Official Opening of Ruprecht Playground

Published on 02 November 2017

Close to one hundred children and parents attended the opening of a new playground in Ruprecht Park, Taree last week, which was funded to improve the recreational facilities available to families who live in the local area.

The playground was a hive of activity starting with the official opening by local Biripi elder, Aunty Barbara Clarke and Mayor David West.

Young Aboriginal dancers from Chatham High School held a captive audience, as they performed a special cultural dance that acknowledged the connection that the local Biripi people have with the park.

Those who came along to the opening also enjoyed a sausage sizzle provided by the Taree Lions Club, face painting and playing on the new playground and football field.

During the planning stage of the project local children within the Bushland community were invited to provide ideas and vote for equipment they wanted to see in the playground. Sarah Wilkinson, MidCoast Councils Community Engagement Officer said “the local children told us they wanted things they could climb on and things that spin really fast. It was great for them to see their ideas come to life."

This project is part of MidCoast Council’s commitment to improving infrastructure across the region, and was funded by the NSW Government’s Social Housing Community Improvement Fund (SHCIF). This funding is designed a program aimed at building social connections by improving the liveability and amenity of social housing communities. This was one of two playgrounds funded in the Manning area, with another installed in Purfleet.